Cheery, Cheery Night
by Caesar Augustus Plutarch
Summary: In response to a PPMB Iron CHef challenge. A night in the life of award winning actress Brittany Taylor


PPMB Iron Chef Challenge: Cheer Lord

_Cheery, Cheery Night_

_A modest exercise in self parody by CAP_

The post-award reception was in full swing. The massive gold-coloured drapes and thick crimson carpeting did absorbed but little of the loud laughter and noisy hum of hundreds of conversations. The moving mass of people made it difficult for Brittany Taylor to spot those whom she was seeking. Every other person stopping her to pass on his or her congratulations for her Drama Desk win as Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play slowed her even more. It was pleasing to the ego Brittany acknowledged in her mind especially when it came from those who she respected and admired and who truly meant it and had actually seen her performance in 'The Old and the Rest of Us' but she feared that Daria would leave the reception before she could find her. Jane would probably stay longer but not much.

"I should have known," she thought to herself when she finally spied her quarry.

"There they are," Brittany said to the two women with her pointing to the table in the far most corner.

Like three lionesses after a hapless pronghorn, they zeroed in on Jane and Daria.

"Incoming," Tom said quietly.

Flashing a dazzling smile, he stood when the three stopped at their table. "Good evening, Ladies. Will you join us?" he said. "Brittany, my congratulations, it was a well deserved win."

"Congratulations," Daria echoed. "The Outer Critics Circle, the Obie, and now the Drama Desk. Well done."

"Bravo, Brit," Jane said raising a glass of wine. "Have the leads in 'The Old and the Rest of Us' died of envy yet?"

Her brother Trent shook his head slightly at her statement while Jane's date, a male model that Brittany knew from a thousand and one print ads but for the life of her could not remember his name, raised a glass to her.

Brittany smiled glancing at the four Drama Desk Awards that sat on the table, Daria's for Outstanding Play and Jane's for Outstanding Set Design both for the Daria's play 'Pinocchio and the Termites'. The other two belong to Jane's brother, Trent who had won for Outstanding Lyrics and Outstanding Music for the musical 'Leather Clad Lesbian Biker Chicks in the Bible Belt.' A half-full (or half-empty) glass sat on the table in front of a vacant chair between Trent and Daria. Trent's date, Georgia E. Middlemarch, Brittany surmised, was elsewhere at the moment. That was good as far as she was concerned because Georgia, the lead actress in 'The Old and the Rest of Us' was, as Jane jokingly said, not handling the critics overwhelmingly positive reception of Brittany's role very well. It was especially irksome for Georgia coming on the heels of her loss to Brittany for a Daytime Emmy the previous year.

"Everyone, you know my agent, Polly Breedlove, I think," Brittany said gesturing to one of her companions. "And this is my mother, Vivian Lark. Mom, this is Tom, Daria, Jane, Trent and Jean Baptiste," she added remembering the model's name at last.

Hellos were traded before Polly turned to Tom. "Are you an actor?" she asked noting his handsome face and trim body covered by a well cut suit.

"No," Tom said pulling out a chair for her.

"He's the next best thing to an artist," Jane happily piped up reaching for Georgia's abandoned flute. "A patron."

"I think tonight's first glass of wine is a distant memory," Brittany thought as she sat down. "What the hell. She has reason to celebrate."

Georgia returned giving Trent a peck on the cheek before she sat down. "Where's my wine?" she asked.

"You drank it," Jane said. "Remember?"

"Vivian, you must be proud of your daughter," Daria quickly said. "Following so successfully in your footsteps."

Vivian squeezed her daughter's hand. "Very, very much," she replied. "But honestly, I haven't had much of a career to follow, just a few commercials, some bit parts in a B movie here and there."

"There are no small parts," Jane intoned earnestly peering at Georgia. "Only small actors."

"True enough," Brittany brightly exclaimed. "But that's about to change. We got the call just a few hours ago. Coming to CBS this fall 'Broad Boulevard' starring Vivian Lark."

Brittany applauded enthusiastically. The others joined in politely.

"Congratulations, Vivian," Daria said.

"Thank you," she replied. "But I'm afraid my daughter has misled you some what. I am only the co-star. The lead is Brittany herself."

"You're getting a show?" Georgia asked. "The LEAD in a prime time programme?"

Brittany nodded.

Georgia leaned back in her chair and snapped her fingers loudly. "Waiter," she yelled.

"So filming starts when?" Daria asked.

"July," Brittany answered. "My contract with the soap is up at the end of May. I'll continue to do the play until Mid-June then take a vacation before heading to L.A."

"It must be a thrill to have a chance to work with your mother," Tom said.

"It is," Brittany replied hugging her mom briefly. "What's almost as cool is that the actress who played my character's best friend in the pilot is unable to do the show now so I was able to get Angie hired in her place."

"Angie who?" Tom asked.

"You know Angie," Brittany said before lightly hitting herself on the side of her head. "Of course, you don't. You didn't go to Lawndale. Angie was my best friend in High school. She was on the cheerleading squad with me and went to Grand Prairie State with me. Both of us were drama majors."

"Our first job out of college was doing the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Since then she's mostly been with a couple of repertory companies."

"So you get to work with your mother and your best friend on your own TV show, eh," Jane said. "Lucky you."

"Yeah," Brittany said hugging her mother again. "Lucky me."


End file.
